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New Memorial Taking Shape in Taylor

A new memorial is taking shape in Lackawanna County. The monument to honor veterans in the borough of Taylor won’t be ready for this memorial day, but the...

A new memorial is taking shape in Lackawanna County. The monument to honor veterans in the borough of Taylor won't be ready for this memorial day, but the project has come a long way already.

What was once just a patch of grass outside the Taylor Community Center on Main Street is being transformed. There's still a lot of work to do there, but the empty plot will fill a void.

That's what members of the American Legion in Taylor said. Many of them are veterans who felt kind of forgotten in their borough.

"When the mayor came up with this idea I thought, 'This is great! We will have a monument right here in Taylor, little town like Taylor,'" said Legion member Ron Breithaupt.

Workers from the borough are prepping the veterans monument site, which should be done in time for next Memorial Day. The plans were the brain child of Taylor's mayor. The monument will feature a steel star that will bear the names of veterans from Taylor.

"I don't think there is anything like ours anywhere," said Mayor Richard Bowen.

That star will weigh about a ton and is being constructed by students at Johnson College in Lackawanna County. Bowen said the design idea came easily. Raising the money for the project took much longer, almost five years, but, he said, the wait has been well worth it.

"In support of the military and veterans who served, past and present, and we're looking forward to recognizing our veterans from Taylor borough," added Bowen.

The borough received a $10,000 state grant for the flagpoles and flags that will fly this Memorial Day. The rest of the memorial is funded through donations.

Borough officials said they are still about $6,000 short but they hope to have everything finished by Veteran's Day in November.

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